Coronation
by Angel Ren
Summary: Sequel to Anomaly. It's King Lotor's coronation, and the Queen of Arus is invited. (Lotor x Allura) Fluff!
1. Chapter 1

**Coronation**

 **Chapter 1**

* * *

"Something came for you today." Allura paused and looked up from the stack of parchment she was bent over as Coran walked into her office. The elderly man paused to regard his charge. "You look tired," he commented and she just let out a low exhale in response.

"It's these old documents. I'm trying to read through them but the ink is faded or smudged in some places," she admitted, setting aside the worn, yellow pages.

"What is it you're looking at?" Coran came around her desk to look at what held the young queen's attention. "These are in Drulish. Old, at that," he exclaimed, surprised. Allura nodded in response.

"It's part of what is making it so difficult. I've only been learning the language for about a year, I'm not nearly proficient enough to understand some of this, especially when it gets technical. It's an old treaty that established a trade negotiation with another star system. It was signed by, I believe the ruler before King Zarkon's predecessor. So you're right about how old it is, and it is one of the longest standing non-hostile agreements of the Drule Empire. It's why I'm particularly interested in it. I'd like to know why."

"Are you concerned?" Coran's wary tone belied his worry.

"Quite the opposite, actually. Since things have been relatively peaceful for the past year and we've set up a network of allies and trade partners and seem to be doing well with it…" She trailed off, hesitating a little. "I know I might be dreaming a little big but I'd like to look into negotiations with the Drule Empire itself next."

Coran just raised an eyebrow at her. "The Drule Empire: while it isn't conquering new worlds anymore, is still not even remotely aligned with the Galaxy Alliance. They still have firefights over contested territories, you know, and they haven't surrendered anything they've conquered."

"I'm aware, but to be fair, I'm not entirely aligned with what the Galaxy Alliance is doing, either. I feel like it's entirely too militaristic at this point when we are pushing so hard for peace. But, then again, I'm not a tactician. I've always maintained Arus to be just an ally of the Alliance and only tangentially related. I don't want to get sucked into someone else's war."

Coran murmured in assent. "I think that's very wise of you, I always have." Allura sighed a little and opened a wooden box and gingerly laid the old parchment inside, latching a lid closed to protect the relics.

"How on Earth did you get your hands on an original, anyway?" The advisor shook his head in disbelief as he set the worn box on a shelf behind Allura's desk.

"I spoke with the people the trade agreement is with - they're in the Crimson Quadrant. I'm sure there's a second copy in Castle Doom somewhere. I'd also wager it's been digitalized in some format or another, but I wanted to look at one of the two originals. Asking to borrow Castle Doom's copy would tip them off that I was interested in it and I'd much rather familiarize myself more with the arrangement – and the language – before I give that much away," she conceded, standing up from her office chair.

Allura's hair was braided back in an elegant fishtail, swinging down her back as she moved. She wore her mother's crown; considerably larger than the modest princess tiara she had used for so long. It flashed like a halo in the sunlight as she stood before the open window.

"Has it never been translated into any other languages?" Coran's eyes tracked her as he eased his hip against her antiquated mahogany desk. He found it interesting, albeit unsurprising, that despite finally accepting the title of Queen and embracing the throne, Allura had never once sat upon it. Dust covered the stone chair in the throne room; King Alfor the last to ever touch it. She had created her own throne room within the library, using her father's desk instead.

"It has – but a translation is only as good as the translator. While I'm not particularly proficient in the language, I at least know I have no political bias in how the final product is worded. In fact, I'm especially interested in seeing it without anything of the sort," she explained, folding her arms behind her back as she gazed out the floor-length window upon her planet below. "Everything is quiet. It's nice, don't you think? Though it feels a bit odd sometimes," she added.

Coran just shrugged and approached her, coming to stand next to her in front of the window. "It's natural to feel a subtle unease – It was only in his last couple years did King Zarkon scale back his aggression against you. And even then, it's only been a few weeks since he passed away and it's stopped completely. Lotor still hasn't exactly shown his hand on whether he intends to pick up where his father left off or if he's interested in something else," he mused.

Allura nodded in assent. "That's also another reason I've been working on this translation. It's been a project of mine for about a year now – Zarkon's health was failing and it was only a matter of time – and now that the old regime has finally retired… this is as good of a shot at unity as we will get. If Lotor intends to continue with the aggression and war, so be it. But I think there might be a chance he won't," she said. "Maybe I'm just being too hopeful."

"Well, don't sell yourself short. You might be on to something," Coran hedged, offering Allura the reason he had sought her out in her study in the first place. She turned to look at the piece of mail he extended to her and she delicately plucked the navy blue, refined cardstock envelope from his hand.

Physical items were so rarely sent that they were almost exclusively for formalities. The paper between her fingers was luxurious and expensive with a special attention to detail. The front of the envelope had her name written with elegant script in gold ink. The back was sealed with a crimson wax stamp with the letter L artfully embossed into it.

She held the light piece of paper in her hands for a moment, her breath catching at the sight of her name on the front. _Surely he didn't write it…_ Each letter, each stroke of the calligraphy pen was precise and perfect. The script wasn't especially feminine or embellished, but it was very artfully and very slowly done with an exquisite attention to detail and patience.

"Thank you," Allura said after a moment and eased herself into her desk chair. Coran bowed once and departed the office, leaving the queen with her privacy. Her hands trembled as she held the paper. _Why is my heart racing? …Am I afraid?_ After a shaky exhale, she turned the envelope over again and with a gentle snap, the seal popped free.

Allura struggled to slide the delicate piece of matching navy blue paper from the envelope with her unsteady hands. She felt a warm flush on her cheeks and her breath catch as the small letter unfolded in her palms. It was brief, but few words were needed to convey the intensity of the message. The same script as the front graced the inside. It simply listed a time and a date followed by a single word.

 _Please._

Though the entirety of the correspondence contained only her name, a time and day, Allura knew exactly where it was, what it was, and who was inviting her. Her heart hammered in her chest.

It was King Lotor's official coronation ceremony and he was personally inviting her to attend. She doubted heavily the other guests in attendance received the same sort of personal invitation.

Allura found herself both surprised and deeply flattered to realize they needed so little words to communicate. Though their relationship had been rocky at its best, wedged and fractured by combat and festering desire, it had still been intimate. More often than not, they had been adversaries. Facing off against each other across a battlefield or Allura fleeing with Lotor in quick pursuit - and yet they knew each other. Between the launched missiles, stray gunfire, kidnappings and ultimatums, they had developed an understanding. While most of their interactions had been hostile in the past, Allura wouldn't have been surprised if the Drule knew her better than her own commander. There was just _something_ on a primal level between them; a heat she couldn't explain. Her heart raced at the thought of him. Her cheeks blushed as she bit down on her bottom lip. Was peace possible? And if so, then what would follow? Without constant conflict between them, where did that leave the two of them?

 _It's Lotor. Why is your heart racing? Why does he make you blush?_ Allura shrugged off the voice in her head as she set the invitation aside. _Just an invitation to an exceedingly important event in his life. Only an invitation he spent quite a while making, despite its simplicity. Time where he would have been thinking about you while carefully and patiently carving each letter of your name out-_ Allura shook her head violently to stop her thoughts again, her cheeks blushing hotter than they had before. There was something about the little details and elegant succinctness that caught her eye. Leave it to King Lotor to have figured that out about her already.

With a groan, she stood up and paced around the office before departing to go look for Coran. She needed some outside advice before her own inner monologue drove her mad.

* * *

Lotor stood in front of the mirror, dressed in traditional Drule regalia. It was a more lavish version of his normal attire and held some of the trinkets and adornments that his father's outfit had sported.

The crown that would be placed on his head rested on a satin pillow nearby, waiting to be collected by one of his attendants. Lotor had been prepared and dressed for the event for the last couple hours, but he kept adjusting the outfit to give himself something to do as he waited for the ceremony to begin. Why he was nervous, he couldn't imagine. He had dreamed of this day since he was a little boy but now that it was upon him, he felt agitated.

"Sire," a knock sounded at the door, arousing him from his train of thought.

"Enter," he beckoned, both a little annoyed at the intrusion but also relieved at the release from his thoughts.

The guard pushed the door open and bowed low. "A thousand apologies, My King, but I thought you might like to know. A couple of the Voltron Lions were spotted in the distance."

The room grew still.

"Which ones," he asked slowly.

"From what we could tell, Black and Blue Lion."

Air rushed out of Lotor's lungs in a quick exhale, his world tilting slightly by this news.

"She came," he murmured in bewilderment. He hadn't actually expected her to come - and he wouldn't have blamed her for that decision. In her world, she was taking a chance by coming a second time to his planet. Into his castle. It also meant she had understood their unspoken dialog with his very vague invitation.

"What is their status?"

"They landed a short distance from the castle on one of the hills. They're far enough away to be relatively unnoticed and not stir up commotion, but close enough to cover the distance to the castle easily. Blue Lion is powered down in the usual resting position, but Black Lion is sitting upright next to it. The commander is sitting on top of his lion's head, watching the castle. Our guess is that Blue Lion is empty, but that's unconfirmed. We haven't seen the pilot yet."

"He's babysitting her," Lotor grumbled to himself. "As long as he stays put there and is just a sentinel for the queen, let him be. He doesn't trust her to walk back out of the castle of her own accord. Doesn't trust _me,_ rather," he amended bitterly. He couldn't find a logical way to blame the commander for his concern, but it still irritated him.

"Should we approach?"

"No," he sighed. "As much as getting into it with the commander would be a delight, not today. Again, keep an eye on him, but leave him alone as long as he's only watching from a distance."

The guard bowed without a word and opened the door to leave. As he did so, a clamor of noise rose up from the main hall where all the guests were gathering. Laughter, cheering and general excitement echoed into the room before the door swung shut, leaving Lotor alone.

"Sire," Haggar opened the door while she was knocking on it, not waiting for permission to enter. "Everything is ready. We can begin as soon as you are," she said.

"Let's begin." He picked up his sword and swung it around his waist, attaching it to the gold belt he now wore.

* * *

As he entered his own throne room, all the murmuring and chattering fell deathly silent. His own boots clicked against the floor with each stride as he walked the full length of the room. Briskly and with purpose, he strode past all the citizens of his empire who had gathered for this occasion. Thousands of chairs had been laid out around the room and still more people were standing in the back. All eyes rested on him and he stayed focused on the ornate chair topping the high pedestal before him. A flash of gold in the corner of his eye told him precisely where Allura was, but he didn't dare turn his head.

The guests who had taken seats had risen from their chairs reverently as he walked by, covering the distance from door to throne with each stride. Coming upon the stairway, he took each step with deliberation and concentration. After what felt like eternity, he was standing before his own throne. Upon the seat sat the crown his father had worn for so long, waiting for him to claim it.

For many civilizations, it was customary for a clergy, priest or the king himself to crown the new ruler. Most Drule thrones, however, were taken by force and rarely relinquished willingly. The previous owner of the crown more often than not wasn't around to see it passed along to the heir.

He took a deep breath and reached for the crown carefully, and as custom dictated, he placed it upon his own head before turning to look at the room behind him. Cheers erupted as he sat down in the chair, Haggar coming to take her place standing by his side. War chants broke out in some pockets of the large crowd and some women screamed at him to take them to his bedchambers. The sound of loyalty and adoration in the room was deafening as thousands of Drules rejoiced.

It took only a very quick skim to find her. Allura was nestled into a back corner with the rest of the standing guests. Lotor quickly commended himself for not looking for her sooner because as soon as his eyes caught hers, the world went silent around him. His ears only heard her breathing and laughter, his eyes only saw her. Her blue gaze was locked on his, a secret smile on her lips as she clapped demurely. When he made eye contact, a blush flared across her cheeks before she averted her eyes.

Allura was stunning. Her hair was curled and pinned away from her face, falling in waves down her back. She was wearing her formal crown - something he hadn't seen on her the last time they had met. Her gown was exquisite, layers of navy and black billowing around her like the night, accents of cyan adding moonlight to her night sky. It rested off her shoulders leaving her décolletage delightfully bare. A large sapphire teardrop rested just below her collarbone, the only adornment about her throat, while matching smaller sapphires graced her earlobes. Long sleeves ran the length of her arms and flared out around her wrists.

His fascination with her shifted quickly to concern as one of his elite female warriors caught her attention. Fiora was dressed in pants and a dress shirt, her arms muscled and rugged. Her dark blue hair was cropped short and she towered over the Arusian queen. Allura's weight shifted as she turned to look at the woman, her own eyes a wide with surprise. Fiora then said something that caused Allura to laugh. After covering her mouth politely while her shoulders trembled with her mirth, she then turned her back partly to the woman. The Drule quickly put her hands into Allura's hair and began petting it. Blonde hair was a very rare occurrence among Drules and often only entered the gene pool through mating with humans.

The King found himself relieved that the woman wasn't trying to harm nor intimidate Allura but was instead simply fascinated by her hair. He tore his eyes from her to look to Haggar next to him as he felt his jealousy start to rise.

The witch nodded to him once and signaled for the room to quiet down for the new king. Lotor exhaled and began his speech, keeping it brief. He touched on the traditions of the Drule race, commented on the fractured state of the empire and vowed to continue to pull it back together. After a quick sermon no more than twenty minutes long, he concluded his remarks and encouraged everyone to mingle and celebrate. In the large dining hall next door, guests were encouraged to eat, drink and be merry. Cheers erupted as he finished, and the guests all rose to their feet to cheer for their new king.

Gradually the crowd began to disperse, chatter and noise coming up from the large sea of people. The throne room slowly emptied into the dining hall a little at a time, bodies moving and circulating around the room.

Lotor found himself frustrated when officials kept approaching his throne and catching his attention. He couldn't seem to take more than about five steps down the staircase before another noble, officer or war hero called for his time.

His eyes scanned the crowd of people and found Allura standing in a circle with four other Drules. While she seemed to be shyly talking to them, they made no effort to hide their delight and fascination to see her within their castle walls. He was only half-paying attention to what his commander was saying to him as he strained to catch their conversation.

Without warning, Allura tossed her head back and laughed at something the duchess on her left had said to her. Her voice carried across the room and sounded divine. It wasn't until one of the two males standing with her moved to her right side that Lotor became edgy. He detached himself from the commander and started moving toward where her party was gathered.

"Oh, _hell no_ ," he muttered as he practically jogged through the crowd toward them. The male had snaked an arm around Allura and was drawing her in closer to his side. Sweet thing that she was, she was attempting to tactfully step away without offending anyone, but her new companion was not taking the hint. Or he was blatantly ignoring it.

"Good afternoon Zarius," Lotor called out with false politeness as he strode up to the group. Zarius practically leaped off of Allura at the murder in his king's eyes and he bowed low before him, his Drule companions following suit. "Would you be so kind as to excuse us? I'd like to speak with Queen Allura," he drawled dangerously. His hand had already tucked under her elbow and was leading her away before he finished his sentence.

Allura felt a shiver run down her spine at the possessiveness in his voice when he spoke to Zarius, and her panic hitched a little as he led her through the hallway and out a side door with determination and control. She tugged at her arm in protest, but he held fast. The door led to a little sitting room design to give small groups – or couples – privacy during larger events. The intended purpose appeared to be for meetings with a circular table and four chairs in one half of the room, but the sofa and loveseat near a fireplace on the other side didn't go unnoticed. Allura swallowed heavily as he pulled her inside, the door swinging shut behind them.

* * *

 **More to come soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Once the door clicked shut behind them, her fear piqued. Allura frantically tugged on her arm to try and free herself from his steel grip. She braced herself to struggle and fight as old memories of their interactions flared to life.

Yet Lotor released her with no resistance.

"I apologize Allura, the culture is a bit… different here. I had to make a show of it, unless you wanted him to come back once I stepped away," he explained, letting her back away from him to catch her breath and calm her alarm.

"Oh," she said softly, unable to think of anything else to say. She rubbed her elbow absentmindedly, glancing around the private and intimate room. "So…" she trailed off, suddenly interested in the carpet near her feet.

"You came," he commented, his bewilderment evident in his tone. He eased himself down onto one half of the loveseat and gestured for her to take a seat on the sofa across from him. His eyes never left her as she glanced around nervously before gathering her skirt in her arms and settled on the sofa, letting the pleats and lace fan out around her.

"I did," she finally answered. After finding nothing else to smooth or straighten on her gown, she folded her hands in her lap nervously and exhaled before raising her eyes to meet his.

 _Intense._

There simply wasn't another word to describe the way he regarded her. He was quiet, sitting in a reclined position on the loveseat, one leg crossed leisurely over the other. One hand rested across his lap, the other was propped on the armrest and braced against his cheek. His eyes stared at her, studying her. The lethality and power in his relaxed form reminded her that she was treading dangerously. His silence measured her and contemplated her. Allura was alone with the now-king of the entire Drule Empire in a hideaway room. Her breath shuddered a little as her heartbeat accelerated.

As Allura licked her lips unconsciously, Lotor's eyes snapped to the motion, causing her to blush brightly. The tension in the room dragged on, Allura fidgeting and Lotor just staring at her like a predatory animal on the hunt. His body was comfortably draped across the cushions, and yet the hardened strength in him was impossible to miss. It made him all the more intimidating.

She took a deep breath to begin speaking but quickly lost her nerve when his eyes dropped to the rise of her chest before slowly sliding back up to meet her eyes unapologetically.

"Stop that!" She finally muttered, becoming frustrated with the tangible silence in the air.

"Stop what?" He raised an eyebrow. His entire form was motionless, his chest barely moved as he spoke and breathed. Only his eyes tracked her.

"That! Stop being so… still!" Allura was agitated and flushed, but she knew the moment the words slipped from her lips that they were the wrong ones.

Lotor had covered the distance between them in the time it took her to blink. He was straddling her on the sofa, leaning over as she pressed into the cushions away from him, his lips just a breath from her own. She released a soft noise of surprise.

"Would you rather I show you how I _can_ move," he whispered in a dangerous purr to her, his arms on either side of her shoulders, his body a cage over her own.

"Oh… oh dear that is definitely not what I meant," her high-pitched whisper wasn't necessarily intended for him, just an audible mark as she recognized her mistake. He chuckled throatily as he leaned in closer. Allura shrank back as much as she could.

For all he could have done – and all he wanted to do – Lotor used restraint. He savored the moment of victory as he moved slowly. His lips brushed her cheek in a gentle tease as his own cheek brushed past. Hot breath down the side of her neck induced a shiver from the woman beneath him which in turn elicited a growl of approval.

"I could make your body move in ways you've never dreamed of before, Allura, just say the word," he whispered into her ear. Allura attempted to utter something but it was quickly lost as his lips skimmed along her throat. It wasn't quite a kiss, but it conveyed possession just the same. He leisurely licked up her throat to her ear, delighted to feel her shudder again. After a playful nip to her lobe, he pounced back off of her with the same speed he had trapped her and casually moved away from the sofa.

Allura was left stunned, breathless, trembling, and altogether aroused as he made his way across the room to the meeting table and back counter. After taking a moment to restart her brain, Allura slowly relaxed her entire body one limb at a time and sat back upright on the sofa. Gingerly, she turned to peer over the back to watch what he was doing.

A couple minutes ticked by, his back to her while he did something at the counter. The sound of water being poured caught her ear before he turned around and carried a silver tray toward her. Lotor set it down on a small table between them as he retook his place across from her. A teacup and saucer sat before her, a porcelain tea pot with hot tea and a little dish of sugar decorated the tray.

Lotor sipped from his own glass as he leaned back to watch her again, though his was made of crystal and filled with amber liquor.

"Tea?" Allura squeaked the single word out while still struggling to reclaim her voice. She coughed a little to clear her throat, slowly settling back into her prim and proper role. Once fully recovered, she smoothed out her hair and adjusted her crown to keep herself from fidgeting nervously.

"Unless you'd prefer something stronger?" He tilted his whiskey toward her teasingly.

Allura reached forward and gingerly poured herself a cup of tea, adding a little sugar and daintily stirring the cup. She set both the saucer and cup in her lap while she waited for it to cool.

"Well, congratulations on the throne," she said after a moment, taking a sip. The cup trembling in her hands indicated that she was a bit rattled. He felt a sense of pride that the blush still stained her cheeks.

"Thank you," he murmured, still watching her intently but with more animation this time to help put her at ease. "Were you troubled by Zarius and his cohorts?"

Allura shook her head once, causing her golden hair to shiver down her back. She eagerly dove into a conversation, grateful for something to focus on.

"Oh, no they were lovely. Zarius – that was his name, right? – was just a little too friendly is all," she admitted. "But otherwise I've been genuinely surprised. I didn't actually think I would be particularly welcome here, but that hasn't felt the case. I think there was some surprise but I didn't sense any hostility."

"You are…" he paused, trailing off as he searched for the right word to describe to the queen precisely his subjects perceived her. "You are in a way… impossible."

Allura almost choked on her tea.

"That's the most ridiculous thing-" She dabbed at her lips with a napkin. She froze when she caught sight of him staring at her lips and she slowly lowered the napkin back down to her lap.

"I mean it," he insisted after a moment of thought, returning his eyes to hers. "You're kind, but also a warrior. This is a concept that does not exist in our culture. You're respected because they know what you have accomplished. You're one of the legendary Voltron pilots. You're the heiress to the robot itself. Both those things grant you respect. Even as enemies, a Drule respects a worthy adversary," he explained, pausing to sip from his glass.

"I hardly consider myself competent in any-"

"I know. That's the other half. You're humble and kind. Both of those traits fascinate most of my people. Myself included," he added with another drink of his liquor.

Allura just fidgeted quietly, not comfortable with this line of discussion.

"It basically drafts you into a character that could only exist in stories for us, and yet here you are. You're standing there in the throne room, polite, cheerful and smiling, while surrounded by people you should naturally fear, hate, or at least be wary of. And yet you're still genuinely kind. Beneath it all is a fierce warrior's heart willing to do everything and all she can for what she believes in and cares for," he finished, leaning back to watch her reaction.

"I do it because there simply is no other option. I don't like to fight. If I could get my way, no one would need to fight again... but that's just a fantasy," she finished, drinking more of her tea.

"Exactly," he said, as if that explained everything. Allura just shook her head again. "And the fact that you don't understand why that makes it so incredible is even more the reason why they look at you the way they do."

She just stayed still and shrugged non-committedly, a blush on her cheeks. With much less speed that before, he stood up and began walking toward her. He was deliberate in his moves, intending not to startle her this time. As he approached where she was sitting on the sofa, she scooted to one side to put as much distance between them as she could.

Lotor could have closed the distance between them but he chose not to. Instead he just eased himself down on the opposite end of the sofa, content for now to just be closer than he was before. He marked the fear in her eyes as she regarded him warily.

"You look lovely this evening," he commented off-handedly, trying to help her relax. He reclined into the armrest of the sofa, letting his hand drape over the back as he watched her. "I'm surprised you didn't wear pink, however. It's twice now I've seen you in black. You look quite lovely in it."

She blushed and glanced down to the tulle and satin of her midnight-hued gown and shrugged a little. "…I didn't want to stand out even more than I already do," she admitted after a minute.

"Is there a significance to the jewelry?" While the questions sounded very dull and rehearsed, Lotor was sincerely attempting to calm her. As much as the beast inside him enjoyed the chase, he didn't want her to flee this time. Yet a small part of him, was genuinely interested in the answer. His eyes watched her hand move from her lap to her throat as she touched the sapphire and he felt his own fingers itch to do the same.

"It was my mother's," she explained, then dropped her hand back to her lap where she toyed with her tea cup idly before continuing to fill the silence between them. "She loved finery. Jewels, gowns… all of it. And my father was happy to shower her in them. When she passed away, all her possessions were saved for me to be old enough to use them, but I…" She trailed off, shaking her head once. "I've never much cared for them myself."

"The easy answer is," she continued after a thoughtful moment when he stayed quiet. "That as a pilot on standby to go into combat at a moment's notice… Well. I don't need to be getting struck in the head by a giant gemstone in low gravity, you know?" She giggled to herself softly as she sipped her tea. "But I never much cared for them before that, either, to be fair."

Lotor nursed his distilled spirit, content to just watch her. This, of course, only caused Allura to fidget more.

"I wanted to ask you something," she blurted out as her anxiety rose in the wake of his silence. She clasped her hands tightly in her lap and turned to face him more. Her back was pressed against the armrest of the sofa and her knees tucked up onto the cushion in front of her underneath the layers of her gown so that she faced him across the sofa the same way he faced her.

Allura had Lotor's absolute, undivided attention with her words. As she leaned forward and took a deep breath to gather her thoughts, even the temptation of the neckline of her gown didn't tear his eyes from hers.

"Yes," he said after a moment, his voice tense with anticipation.

"I…" Allura hesitated, sitting back upright and glancing down to her dress. "I wanted…" She closed her eyes and exhaled. Taking yet another calming, controlled inhale, she opened her eyes and met his with her characteristic determination and courage etched behind them. "I wanted to know what Planet Doom's intentions are toward Arus and the rest of the Galaxy Alliance. It has everyone's interest right now with the change in… leadership," she finished strongly, her voice full as she put confidence behind her words.

Lotor leaned back against the armrest and considered her question thoughtfully while he finished off his drink. Setting the glass aside, he folded his arms across his chest while Allura waited with bated breath.

"To be honest, and just between you and I," he hedged, surprising himself to find he trusted her with confidential, internal information. "I have no idea. I hadn't considered it before you asked just now. The Drule Empire is… in flux right now," he said carefully. "Zarkon was a powerful man – but he was not well-liked. We are not nearly as unified or as strong as we appear to be," he said softly. "And you can understand why that information should not reach the Galaxy Alliance, right?"

Allura's face lit up with an earnest blush when she realized he was confiding in her. Instantly she forgot her history with the man in front of her as her mind went straight into diplomatic relief mode. She scooted a little closer to him with concern on her face, trying to untangle her legs from her dress as she moved.

"Are your people alright? Do they need aid? Arus doesn't have a whole lot of surplus; we're still rebuilding ourselves, but we do have some items we could spare." Allura glanced off to the side as she started going through the most recent numbers she had seen as far as assets. "Food, for example, which I know can be tricky for many of your planets to grow themselves, is in abundant supply right now so we could definitely help with that if needed. Cloth though is a bit low but we might have a little to spare…" she trailed off as she caught sight of his stunned expression.

"What." Her voice was flat and defensive as her blush flared across her cheeks and even trickled down to her chest.

"I… you. Just… you," he uttered, completely bewildered and feeling exceedingly out of sorts to be caught off guard by the queen.

"What did I do now?" She crossed her arms over her chest and regarded him warily. Lotor could only shake his head in response, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Our factions have been at war for a very long time. My father, several times over attacked your planet and enslaved your people – he's the reason you are having to rebuild now instead of expanding. And I mention that there might be some struggle with some of my planets and you… want to help them?"

Allura just shrugged. "Of course I do. It was Zarkon's decision to do all of that, not the other planets', nor even their rulers' decisions. The consequences shouldn't fall to the people to bear. If there is suffering happening that could be alleviated, then I want to help. Arus has always stood by building bridges toward peace and if we were incapable of forgiveness, how could we ever hope to accomplish that?" Allura exhaled and leaned forward again, reaching out to touch the back of his hand resting on his thigh. "And that comes back to my original question. While I can't speak for the Alliance - only Arus - I'd... I'd like to stop fighting, Lotor. I'd like that to just be our history, not our future."

The earnestness in her eyes and the warmth of her hands on his stopped his heart. His breath didn't leave his lungs as he stared across the sofa at her. When he didn't respond, Allura sat back slowly and looked a little nervous.

"It's… It's something to think about, I know you have more pressing matters on your mind than that. But do consider my offer, no strings attached. Even if things don't end up as I would like them to, if there's anything we can do now to help your recovery, please let me know. I'd still like to help," she added, setting the teacup and saucer down on the table.

As she went to stand up from the sofa, Lotor was already on his feet, offering his hand to her. She paused and carefully accepted it. His hand took hers and in a swift, gentle movement, he eased her up onto her feet. Just as she caught her balance, his arms curled around her body and pulled her in close.

Lotor's embrace was oddly gentle. He held her firmly, his muscled body a very stern reminder of his strength and power, but not unkindly. He cradled her close as her hands rested on his chest in surprise, her eyes wide. Cheek to his chest, Allura stood very still. Her heart raced and her body ran hot, but the sensation wasn't unpleasant. Anxiety was ever-present when it came to being in proximity of the man, but this time it was mostly fueled by anticipation rather than fear.

One of his arms was laced around the small of her back while his other palm was open and flat between her shoulder blades. As each moment dragged by, Allura's body relaxed a little bit more into the embrace. Her muscles ached from holding the tension for so long and gradually her residual fear ebbed away. Her heart fluttered with excitement, even though neither moved nor uttered anything for quite some time. Just how many minutes had passed, Allura couldn't be sure, but just as her eyes draped closed and she relaxed against him completely, static crackled through the room.

"Allura!"

The queen leaped back away from Lotor in surprise and alarm, glancing around for the source of the noise. Quickly realizing it was coming from herself, she fumbled with one of the lacy sleeves of her gown, tugging it up to reveal a wrist communicator.

"Yes Keith?" Her voice trembled slightly and she winced, knowing her commander would catch it.

"Are you alright? Do I need to come-"

"No, everything is fine," she assured him.

"Are you sure? You sound distressed," he insisted. "I'll come and we'll get you-" he continued, becoming more concerned.

"No, please don't. Everything is fine, I promise. Okay?"

Silence met her question for nearly fifteen seconds of agony before he came back.

"Fine," he grumbled before cutting the transmission between them.

Allura exhaled in relief, dropping her arm back to her side. She then looked over to Lotor who watched her with an unreadable expression. His eyes easily belied his displeasure at her commander, but he appeared otherwise impassive.

"I should probably go before he gets trigger happy," she muttered under her breath.

"You didn't have to bring him, you know," Lotor pointed out, not bothering to hide his irritation at the situation.

"Trust me, I didn't want to," she admitted, tilting her head to the side and giving him a chagrined smile. "I was able to convince everyone I was fine for the wake because I would be in disguise – and having a bodyguard would give that away. This time, though... not so much," she sighed. "Hopefully he didn't cause too much commotion; we tried to stay out of sight."

"He didn't go unnoticed by my sky captains, but then again that's their job," he amended as she winced. "I don't believe any of the guests saw the lions, however."

Allura found herself in the awkward situation where she was fidgeting again as he moved to her side.

"I'm pleased that I came," she admitted quietly to him. "I will admit, I was extremely apprehensive at first."

"Understandably so. But, things are changing. I'm still adjusting, but... I see everything my father saw, the relationships between planets, how people interact... I have a new appreciation for subtleties, Allura, that I didn't before." He gave her arm a gentle squeeze and released her entirely.

Allura hesitated a moment, much to the king's optimism. "Lotor," she began uneasily. His name on her lips sounded divine to his ears. "This was nice. Thank you. There is... there will be a conference on Arus in a few weeks that is on foreign policy and interacting with other cultures. There will be your usual peace-talk type sermons of course, but is that something you would be interested in maybe visiting? I think you could share some very insightful details that only you would be able to contribute... if you wanted."

"I would be interested in that, yes," he said carefully, concealing his excitement at the invitation to see Allura again. He didn't want to frighten her.

She beamed up at him. "Excellent, I'll send you the information once I get back." Allura turned and started to make her way to the door to head out before pausing and turning to look back at him one last time.

"Yes," he inquired politely, watching her as she hesitated. Allura just shrugged and blushed brightly, turning to walk quickly back to the main room. Lotor watched her go, a quiet heaviness weighing on his chest. He shrugged it off, not wanting to contemplate the weakness she inspired in him.

After a moment he pushed open the door to return to the festivities and was promptly greeted by one of his commanders at his side. With a heavy exhale, Lotor turned to face him, as ready as he could be to embrace being a political leader in a sea of turmoil.

* * *

 **Yay! Completed! This one was originally going to be a one-shot like it's predecessor, Anomaly, but then Lotor got handsy and made it way too long so I broke it into two chapters. If you made it this far, would love it if you took a moment to let me know what you thought - love it, hate it, even flame it. It all helps me make the next one better. Thanks!**


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